Ibex recently had the pleasure of catching up with one of the athletes we sponsor on Team Swell based in Bend, Oregon. Serena Bishop Gordon has been riding cyclocross for four years and is not only nailing top finishes, but she's also busy saving the world at the same time. She was kind enough to indulge us on all questions, from the silly to the profound.
Part One of our interview is like a first date - we get to know Serena a little bit. Check back in a few days for Part Deux, for insider advice on getting started, getting better and what is up with Belgian waffles and CX races?!?
We like your style, SBG. Here's to a great season!
Ibex Question: How long have you been racing cyclocross?
SBG: This fall will mark my fourth season. The first year I didn't have any idea what I was doing and [I was] still running a lot. Three years ago I got serious about riding a bike. I put down the running shoes and challenged myself to become a cyclist. It didn't happen overnight, but I can now say, proudly, that I am a cyclist. I am addicted, and I love it. One of my dear friends calls it bike disease.
Editor's note: Methinks she may be too humble. A quick look at Serena's finishes in Oregon races, alone, is showing A LOT of firsts and nothing lower than a fourth place for 2011 so far.
IQ (heehee): Can you toss about...say...five adjectives about CX?
SBG: Torturous bliss. The most fun on two wheels. A complete circus. Agonizing beauty.
IQ: Tell us about Team Swell. It sounds like a crew that is as supportive, as it is competitive?
SBG: Swell Velo (Silverado Jewelry Gallery p/b Sunnyside Sports) was the brainchild of my teammate, Damian Schmitt. With the help of a few like-minded cyclists, we pulled together a racing team devoted to the growth of the sport and the development of local riders. We strive to provide a positive environment for cyclists who want to succeed in racing, so they can grow and develop their full potential while also giving back to the sport and community. http://swellvelo.wordpress.com/
IQ: What's your day job?
SBG: Ah, the day job. Yes. My official title is Program Associate for The Conservation Alliance, which is a collaborative of outdoor industry companies that raise and disperse money to grassroots environmental organizations working to protect North America's wild places. I love what I do, the people I work with, and moving forward important conservation work - preserving some of our most treasured landscapes for future generation to enjoy.
IQ: What motivates to get on your bike when it's a gloomy, fall/winter day in Oregon?
SBG: "Winning isn't a some times thing, it is an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing." Vince Lombardi.
I have this quote hanging by my desk at work, on a scrape of paper in my wallet, written in my journal that lies by my bed stand. My goals motivate me. Each workout, each interval, each pedal stroke is a building block, has a purpose, is moving me in the direction of my goals. When you are focused on continual improvement, motivation isn't hard to find.
IQ: Okay, for the flip side ~ Describe your ultimate rest-day (off the bike) or lazy day?
SBG: A stormy winter day at the Oregon Coast with my husband, Ben. A walk on the sand dunes, lots of coffee, a good book, fresh seafood, no agenda.
IQ: For you specifically, what are the most fun and most difficult elements about CX?
SBG: To race cross, you have to be tough. The tougher the course and the conditions and the competition: the better. When the rain is coming down in sheets, the wind is howling, it is bitter cold; I fall in love with cyclocross all over again. We may wear Lycra and ride fancy bikes, but at the end of the day, when we are all covered in mud and grit and grime, we are just a bunch of crazy kids, riding bikes around in circles. Cross hurts, a lot. But that is what keeps us coming back for more, week after week, to resume the battle. I like to describe cross as beautiful, torturous bliss. These three words pretty much some it up for me.
Thanks, SBG.
Check back in a few days for The Interview, Part Deux.
If you'd like to read more from Serena in the meantime, check out her blog at: www.serenarides.com.
Part One of our interview is like a first date - we get to know Serena a little bit. Check back in a few days for Part Deux, for insider advice on getting started, getting better and what is up with Belgian waffles and CX races?!?
We like your style, SBG. Here's to a great season!
Ibex Question: How long have you been racing cyclocross?
SBG: This fall will mark my fourth season. The first year I didn't have any idea what I was doing and [I was] still running a lot. Three years ago I got serious about riding a bike. I put down the running shoes and challenged myself to become a cyclist. It didn't happen overnight, but I can now say, proudly, that I am a cyclist. I am addicted, and I love it. One of my dear friends calls it bike disease.
Editor's note: Methinks she may be too humble. A quick look at Serena's finishes in Oregon races, alone, is showing A LOT of firsts and nothing lower than a fourth place for 2011 so far.
IQ (heehee): Can you toss about...say...five adjectives about CX?
SBG: Torturous bliss. The most fun on two wheels. A complete circus. Agonizing beauty.
IQ: Tell us about Team Swell. It sounds like a crew that is as supportive, as it is competitive?
SBG: Swell Velo (Silverado Jewelry Gallery p/b Sunnyside Sports) was the brainchild of my teammate, Damian Schmitt. With the help of a few like-minded cyclists, we pulled together a racing team devoted to the growth of the sport and the development of local riders. We strive to provide a positive environment for cyclists who want to succeed in racing, so they can grow and develop their full potential while also giving back to the sport and community. http://swellvelo.wordpress.com/
IQ: What's your day job?
SBG: Ah, the day job. Yes. My official title is Program Associate for The Conservation Alliance, which is a collaborative of outdoor industry companies that raise and disperse money to grassroots environmental organizations working to protect North America's wild places. I love what I do, the people I work with, and moving forward important conservation work - preserving some of our most treasured landscapes for future generation to enjoy.
IQ: What motivates to get on your bike when it's a gloomy, fall/winter day in Oregon?
SBG: "Winning isn't a some times thing, it is an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing." Vince Lombardi.
I have this quote hanging by my desk at work, on a scrape of paper in my wallet, written in my journal that lies by my bed stand. My goals motivate me. Each workout, each interval, each pedal stroke is a building block, has a purpose, is moving me in the direction of my goals. When you are focused on continual improvement, motivation isn't hard to find.
IQ: Okay, for the flip side ~ Describe your ultimate rest-day (off the bike) or lazy day?
SBG: A stormy winter day at the Oregon Coast with my husband, Ben. A walk on the sand dunes, lots of coffee, a good book, fresh seafood, no agenda.
IQ: For you specifically, what are the most fun and most difficult elements about CX?
SBG: To race cross, you have to be tough. The tougher the course and the conditions and the competition: the better. When the rain is coming down in sheets, the wind is howling, it is bitter cold; I fall in love with cyclocross all over again. We may wear Lycra and ride fancy bikes, but at the end of the day, when we are all covered in mud and grit and grime, we are just a bunch of crazy kids, riding bikes around in circles. Cross hurts, a lot. But that is what keeps us coming back for more, week after week, to resume the battle. I like to describe cross as beautiful, torturous bliss. These three words pretty much some it up for me.
Thanks, SBG.
Check back in a few days for The Interview, Part Deux.
If you'd like to read more from Serena in the meantime, check out her blog at: www.serenarides.com.
